Surg Neurol
-
The Nd:YAG laser has been applied in microneuro-surgery and has been found to be quite effective in removing had and hemorrhagic tumors such as meningiomas, tumors of the deep skull base, or tumors deep in the ventricle. Another indication for the use of the Nd:YAG laser is to open the thick sellar floor in transsphenoidal operations.
-
Case Reports
Prediction of the needed level of sympathectomy for posttraumatic reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
The course of 2 patients with posttraumatic reflex sympathetic dystrophy is presented and discussed. The importance of determining the exact level of sensory blockade in order to know the necessary level of the sympathectomy is emphasized. It is suggested that in patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy, the diagnosis should include the exact upper anatomical level of sympathetic truncus involvement, which can be easily achieved with sensory epidural blockade.
-
Sixty-four cases of bilateral epidural hematomas were reviewed. The factors of patient age, direction of injuring forces, location of hematomas, presence of associated skull fracture, and time interval between injury and onset of signs and symptoms were analyzed. ⋯ Serial angiograms and CT scans have shown delayed accumulation of blood in bilateral epidural hematomas. This finding challenges the theory that epidural hematomas develop within minutes following injury.
-
In a patient with intractable facial pain caused by a deep-seated carcinoma of the upper jaw, relief was obtained following endoscopic section of the sensory trigeminal root, the glossopharyngeal nerve, and the cranial part of the vagus. Previous stereotactic thalamotomy had failed. The endoscopic method is briefly described and discussed.